Jason Guelig, Owner and Operator of Jason Guelig Excavating, LLC, pictured here with a skid-loader and mini-excavator, part of his extensive fleet of machines.

When your business bears your name, there is an extra level of pride that goes into providing the very best service. And so it goes for Jason Guelig, Owner and Operator of Jason Guelig Excavating, LLC, based out of Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.

Since 2004, the privately owned excavating company has provided a loyal customer base with its unique expertise in commercial, utility and residential excavation, as well as demolition—always putting trustworthiness, safety and on-time performance as top priorities.

These goals have served Jason Guelig—both the man and the company—well. “I started the company myself when I was 22 years old, with just a dump truck and rubber tire backhoe. Since then, the company has grown from zero dollars to my team of 20 doing $4 million a year of work.”

Whether performing excavation work on a private residential basement or for large, 20-acre multifamily apartment complexes, the excavation contractor strives to be an organization that combines an old-fashioned work ethic with state-of-the-art excavation equipment, enabling them to get more done in less time.

Reaping the benefits of low overhead and smart planning, Jason explains that he is able to stay remarkably competitive on the overall cost of a project. He adds, “I have a large fleet of machines, so each project gets an excavator, a roller, a dozer ... and it stays right there on the jobsite. There’s no moving the machines in and out. When a GC calls and says, ‘The electrician’s here and I need this dug quickly,’ it’s not a problem.”

It’s Always Yes

Jason remarks that we are living in a “now society.” He says, “I have an excellent reputation for starting on time and staying on time. Even if the schedule says we have to get something done in two weeks and it’s three weeks’ worth of work, I’ll figure it out. I never say no. It’s always yes.”

He adds, “With excavation, I’m the tip of the spear. I’m the one that sets the project schedule in terms of the other trades. From homeowners to GCs to municipalities, people rely on me to keep that schedule even when we run into unexpected challenges. Even when we run into unforeseen problems, I stay on schedule.”

Recently, Jason says, the company has been specializing in brownfield cleanups. “I know where to go, how to clean out the contaminated dirt and do it the right way. At the end, it will be a clean site.”

A Team You Can Rely On

Regardless of a job’s scope, it’s important to Jason that his company implements the newest technologies. “It’s not just digging a hole in the ground anymore,” he says. “The GPS satellites tell you where to dig, so everything is more efficient. Instead of having to call the surveyor to come out and lay out your points, we do that ourselves, which helps us keep progress going.”

This self-reliance extends to his own hands-on role. “I am always involved in the decision-making. There’s no chain of people. Customers have a direct line to me as the owner, and they’ll always have my input on every project.”

Jason is also quick to credit his office and field staff, sharing, “I wouldn’t have made it here if it wasn’t for the dedicated people that I have.” COO Marie Pierquet, who has been with the company for seven years, is one such person. Jason quips, “Marie is an angel. She puts up with me and all the guys. I would never have my business without her because she’s just so involved.”

The company also has a school-to-work training program that brings apprentices in from the local high schools. “It’s great because the students are going into a field they want to be in. The excavation students not only learn how to run a skid-loader but also how to run a safety program. We teach them the “why” of what we’re doing, like why we’re putting dirt to the right and not to the left.”

A local business through and through, Jason Guelig Excavating tends to stay within a 60-mile or so radius for most of its projects, “I’m out in the country in a farming community,” Jason says. “I have equipment on standby for the local volunteer fire departments, helping them out whenever they need our assistance, whether a barn fire or a flood.”

From projects big and small, one thing remains constant. Jason Guelig is going to make sure he and his team will provide customers the value and service they’ve come to expect.